How I Found My Style Sundays- Jennifer Rizzo

I want to thank Pamela for having me here today! I am honored!

Hi! I'm Jen Rizzo and I write over at my lifestyle blog JenniferRizzo.com. I love to write about everything  from Home decor and crafting to art and DIY projects. I am an artist and designer and I design my own home decor for various retailers and my new on-line shop opening at the end of February.

My decorating style is  a bit eclectic. I like to call it Pottery Barn meets Anthropologie with a bit of modern cottage. I like a bunch of vintage, a bit of modern and a lot of artsy-ness thrown in. I love to make my own decor and make things personal. I think your home should be about you and what you love.The sign above the doorway in the kitchen is the town where my mother-in-law grew up. 

I love to change things around a lot too. 

In fact, my husband says when he walks through the door, it's never the same house twice!

It's like redecorating for free.

Everything we do to our house is always on a budget. I find that a great challenge sometimes, but I think it pushes me to be more creative.

 I found my decorating style through trial and error. I always liked old things, but I also found I was drawn to bold patterns and modern shaped lamps. If you look at my early blog pictures my house was a mish-mash mess! Even though I knew my style, it took me years to have the courage to finally take that step!

My most treasured find for my home has actually been space! We are in an 1,100 square foot spilt level. With 3 kids we are tight, and I've gotten really good at squeezing out the last square inch of any room!

 We managed to carve a studio space by building a built-ins at the back of our dining room.

 And our breakfast nook saves us a lot on floor space as well by not having the table centered in the middle of the room.

And our front hall closet was useless for every day, and we needed space for the winter gear, so we ended up tweaking our front entry.

If I could tell you any tips for creating a beautiful home, they would be these:

Don't be afraid to make your home authentically yours.

 That is what is going to make it so wonderful. Who cares if the trend is white, and you love color. Go with color! Put what you love in your own home!

 Go with your gut. For YEARS my home was dark and heavy feeling. Every picture I looked at was light and bright, but I just couldn't seem to find the courage to take that step.

 Our kitchen renovation a few years ago pushed us into it and it was the best push ever.

And finally, don't be afraid to change things! As a family, needs change. As a person, tastes change. Gone are the days of living with the same color for 30 years. Change your home as it needs to be changed! It costs nothing, and there are really no risks with moving a chair from one place to another.Don't be afraid to take risks and follow your heart with your home.

Thank you so much for having me here Pamela!

And thank you so much for being here with me today. I'd love it if you stop by Jenniferrizzo.com and say hi sometime!

Jen

Thank you so very much Jen for sharing your beautiful home with us. It truly has been a favorite of mine for some time now.

How I Found My Style Sundays: Number Fifty-Three

Hi everyone! I'm Angela from Number Fifty-Three. I'm passionate about decorating on a budget and transforming dated thrift store purchases into something spectacular for my home. I can usually be found painting, crafting and thrifting and I document it all on my blog.  I was so thrilled when Pamela asked me to participate in this series!

1- My decorating style is?

My decorating style is such an eclectic mix! I love a home that is collected. I love vintage, modern country and rustic glam.

Something that really draws me in is the play between things that have sparkle and old, worn, chippy pieces, and I incorporate this into a lot of my decorating. 

A big change for us recently has been lightening and brightening our rooms with paint. I'm really loving how this neutral backdrop makes all of our treasures look so special.

I also think it's really important to bring life and nature into my home.  So much sculptural beauty can be found just from a simple grouping of twigs.

2- How did you "find" your decorating style?

My style is constantly evolving; a lot of it being simple trial and error while decorating.  But, I have really honed in on what I love by looking at decorating magazines.  My favorite from the United States is Country Living.  But, I'm really a huge fan of British publications like Country Living and Ideal Home.  Books like Domino and Decorate (by Holly Becker) have also been a huge inspiration to me. As has Pinterest (you can find me pinning here).  Lastly, reading other blogs, especially those of designers that I love, like Emily Henderson, helps to point me in a specific design direction.

3- What has been your most treasured find for your home?

This is such a tough question to answer! My most treasured item I own is this blue velvet, wing back chair that belonged to my grandmother.  I never met her and it is really the only thing of hers that I have. Plus, this chair was always in our home while I was growing up. My Dad is no longer living and so this chair provides such an awesome connection to the past. Plus, I love that the blue velvet was something my Dad chose and it still looks amazing 30+ years later.

In terms of things I've personally found; did you see the painting above the wing back? That was a $6.99 thrift store find that I think is pretty amazing.

4- What tips do you have for creating a beautiful home?

Don't second guess yourself.

I find the times that I don't go with my first instinct I end up regretting my decision. 

Don't get stuck in a rut.

Realize that it's OK to move furniture and accessories from room to room. Experimenting and rearranging your possessions can create an entirely new look in your home. 

Take risks. 

I DIY a lot. I'm always crafting, painting and arranging.  But, there are plenty of times when even my best plan or project fails. But, I remind myself that this isn't life or death. It's just paint or paper or glue.  Just scrap what you don't like and start over. 

Get Creative.   

There are often times I see so many beautiful things that I want for my home.  There are projects and looks that I want to create, but in reality these are just not in my budget.  So, find pictures of what inspires you and figure out how to make it work for your home and your budget.  For example, my husband and I really wanted a new slip covered, modern shaped, well made couch, but couldn't justify the couple of thousand dollars it would have cost.  Our current sofa was structurally sound, but dated and the fabric was torn, so we began to brainstorm what we could do to update it.  We decided on a semi-fitted white slipcover and removing the gigantic attached pillows that made the couch look so dated.  Our real secret is that my husband replaced that cushioning with an egg crate mattress topper.  Would you ever have guessed?

A huge thank you to Pamela for this opportunity! It was so interesting to really think about the answers to these questions.  Sometimes I feel all over the place with what I love and want to use in my home, but this helped me see that I actually do have quite a bit of focus and a very defined style.  I hope you all will take the time to stop by Number Fifty-Three; I'd love to have you!

Thank you so much for sharing your home with us Angela!